Tortillas and salsa in a small gray dish on top of an oval wooden tray
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Summer Salsa with a Shot

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  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
A nod to pico de gallo, this bright salsa comes together easily and leans on fresh ingredients like tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Liven up the flavors with a touch of tequila (totally optional!)

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Mix the garlic, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a serving bowl. Add the tequila, if desired, and season with the remaining salt, adding more to taste if necessary. 
  2. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature. Serve with the tortilla chips.

Cook’s Note

The best tomatoes--juicy with a bright, summer-sweet taste--are vine-ripened. A cue for great taste is a deep, rich color all the way up to the stem, but a full tomato aroma counts too. Don't be shy: It's OK to sniff a tomato. Store your tomatoes at room temperature, not in the refrigerator; chilling deadens their taste and mars their texture. Why mash instead of mince garlic? For raw dips and sauces, when the garlic is reduced to a smooth paste, it flavors a dish more evenly and less harshly than if added in pieces. Another reason to love this "smushing": It's quicker than mincing.